Abstract
‘The tragedies of Buchanan,’ noted Philip Sidney in his Apology for Poetry (c. 1579; printed 1595) ‘do justly bring forth a divine admiration’ (Sidney, 2002, 113). As a glance at the multitude of editions in which Buchanan’s plays and poetry appeared both during and long after his lifetime confirms, Sidney’s regard was normative rather than exceptional (see McFarlane, 1981, 490–518; Durkan, 1994). It is my argument that the interest Buchanan’s drama sustained within the period deserves reconsideration. In particular, this essay will emphasise the prescience of his scriptural tragedy on the last days of John the Baptist, Baptistes (c. 1539–43; printed 1577). This neglected work represents a key contribution to early modern tragic theatre and its political concerns anticipate crucial elements of subsequent achievements in this genre.
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© 2012 Dermot Cavanagh
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Cavanagh, D. (2012). Political Theology in George Buchanan’s Baptistes. In: Streete, A. (eds) Early Modern Drama and the Bible. Early Modern Literature in History. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230358669_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230358669_5
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-33676-0
Online ISBN: 978-0-230-35866-9
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